Who's Who In Indie Music Jul 7, 2008
"Give Up" by The Postal Service (The Postal Service is an Indie supergroup, it is a side project that delivers poppy synth music to bounce your head to while maintaining the emotion of a traditional Indie album. It's depressing music with a great beat. (Suite101.com)
'London is crawling with new music' Jul 5, 2008
"As is the case with many classical students, pop music "was a bit of a hole". As a "good north London schoolboy" he liked Madness - and in 1995 produced an admirably faithful orchestration of their 1982 hit "Cardiac Arrest" - but says he missed out on most of the rest. That said, he has lately begun to catch up and has a penchant for mid-80s synth bands. "Depeche Mode, Duran Duran, who I'm not going to be snobby about, A Flock of Seagulls, the Human League. Those things have a sound you just... (Guardian Unlimited)
When maturity catches up to decibels Jul 2, 2008
"Witching Hour" set the cornerstone for a darker palette in 2005, and the brand-new "Velocifero" burrows even deeper into heavy guitars and impenetrable synth arrangements ... Her voice, rippling out in waves of reverb, miraculously broke through all the commotion, and she took occasional solos on her Korg synthesizer ... Hammered out by a beefed-up touring band - which includes a drummer, a bassist, and yet another synth player - new songs like "I'm Not Scared," "Runaway," and "Burning Up"... (Boston Globe)
Michael Giacchino: His Music Jul 2, 2008
In an age of cheap synth samples and electronic push-button composing, Michael Giacchino continues to showcase his immense talents with his full-blooded music. Michael Giacchino has been storming his way into film score buffs collections over the last decade with his numerous videogame, television and film scores, and his recent score for the Pixar film Ratatouille has been recognized by the Academy Awards with a nomination for 2007 s Best Original Score. (Suite101.com)
Glastonbury: Sun, mud and a hip-hop triumph Jul 1, 2008
Over at the John Peel stage, meanwhile, Brooklyn's synth-pop duo MGMT launched into "Electric Feel", and the crowd erupted. Those who stayed just for this single missed out: next up, "Time To Pretend" turned the space into a dance floor, and "Kids" had the crowd repeating its synth riff long after the band had left the stage ... MGMT When the entirety of the John Peel tent sang back the catchy synth riff of "Kids", after the Brooklyn band had finished their set. (Independent)
* [THE VINYL WORD] Jun 27, 2008
He was in synth bands starting in the late 1980s and did a stint as a full-time DJ for a few years in the 1990s. Recently, Viba has been busy purveying everything from silky lounge music to electro disco-tinged house in clubs, pubs and at festivals, armed with drum machines and synthesizers that he controls with an array of high-tech devices. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
'Crazy is believing you're normal' Jun 24, 2008
Camille makes beautiful music out of sounds generated by the human body: sighs, yelps, chest-slaps - and the 'lip fart synth ... Its follow-up, Music Hole, released this spring, is surely the first record ever to feature in its credits "diphonic vocal bass", "lip fart synth", "the non-specific bird" and "the Donald Duck". (Guardian Unlimited -- Arts)
More than a few enchanted moments Jun 23, 2008
This isn't the work of DJs helping take an exceptionally stylish club full of ecstatic ravers to another dimension; it's a band of skinny Melburnians who play guitars, drums, synths and samplers in a way that creates euphoria among their audience ... That's not to say they have transformed their often hilariously obvious musical influences into something untouchably unique - the songs still recall everything from the white funk of Roxy Music to the 1980s synth pop of Talk Talk, New Order and... (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Coldplay sticks to winning formula on Viva La Vida’ Jun 22, 2008
Things pick up gradually from that point on, as Martin croons over light synth and piano on Cemeteries Of London. The track soon swells on flamenco handclaps and guitar to a catchy refrain of Singing lala-lalalala-lay/And the night over London lay. (Helena Independent Record, MT)
They're doing their own Ting, and it feels like a party Jun 21, 2008
She, in turn, whacked a cowbell and a huge bass drum, loosed synth wails, and ground out the licks while bounding around the stage when possible. The breathless switcheroos never felt harried, however; they just added to the swinging B-52s-meet-Fountains of Wayne party vibe. (Boston Globe)
Purported New Guns N' Roses Tracks Hit The Web Jun 19, 2008
"If the World" is a head-spinning blend of flamenco guitar, industrial synth tones, bluesy piano licks and Rose at the top of his vocal register, while the unnamed track is an even more unusual melange of piano-led crooning, orchestral bombast and a serene instrumental outtro. "Chinese Democracy" was last on Interscope's release schedule in March 2007. (Billboard.com)
Review: N*E*R*D, Seeing Sounds Jun 14, 2008
Not all the ideas are unsuccessful: Kill Joey has a great 70s cop-show chase riff, Everybody Nose's attempt to transpose rock dynamics on to rattling breakbeats and acidic synth squelch is appealingly propulsive. But even the best tracks are marked by a sense of something lacking, usually a decent song. (Guardian Unlimited -- Arts)
VIDEO INTERVIEW: Chat with MGMT Jun 14, 2008
Iffy sound plagued This Tent the whole night, however, and MGMT, with their thick twists of synth squiggles and guitars and layered vocals, seemed at the onset like they might be the worst affected. Though songs from their surprising, quirky Oracular Spectacular debut were being enjoyably fleshed by a full band (they're on record a duo), biting Peter Brady bleats called across the field at the start of their set, further blunting some energetic but speaker-shredded four-on-the-floor kick blasts... (USA Today -- Life)
12 Angry Men Jun 13, 2008
Sedative time; The mighty Dance Of Rage, where Ren rocks out his frustrations in a disused factory on his own to the sound of '80s synth rock, culminating in an Olympic-worthy gymnastic display. We'd give him a 5. (IGN FilmForce)
Head-to-head Jun 11, 2008
From what I saw and heard of his 21 May press conference in Toronto, my first impression was that this pale, lanky 25-year-old should be playing synth in a Gothic emo band - not kicking down doors in Iraq. But for whatever reason, Glass did sign up for military service. (BBC News -- Americas)
A wild and (almost) free night in London Jun 7, 2008
There are a few artists to keep an eye out for: the quirky songster Lightspeed Champion is everywhere, and Late of the Pier, which is really keyboard-heavy synth, makes the kids crazy. Others to check out are Portugal's Buraka Som Sistema, house/disco outfit Friendly Fires, trippy Oxford popsters Foals There are loads more it's tough to keep up with. (Globe and Mail)
'Me Plus Yr Daughter' by Natalie Portman's Shaved Head Jun 3, 2008
A near-perfect pastiche of kitschy '80s synth bass, Depeche Mode-style keyboards, razor-sharp disco guitar, handclaps, and a sexy chorus that's both ironic and surprisingly sincere, this electro party jam is the soundtrack to taking cellphone photos of yourself in the mirror. Hear it at. (Boston Globe)
From a galaxy far, far away Jun 2, 2008
That description goes part of the way toward capturing "Saturdays = Youth," the latest from French shoegazers M83, a band that takes its name from a distant galaxy and its '80s-inspired synth music from pivotal '80s pop-culture references such as the Cocteau Twins and John Hughes films. M83 performs tonight. (Boston Globe)
Your Vegas does U2 on debut CD Jun 1, 2008
It helps that lead singer Coyle Girelli is a latter-day Bono who can make poignant declaratives soar over bright guitar jangle and layers of synth, but the arena-pop sound is nothing without expert songwriting. You need surging verses, big choruses and lyrics about everything anyone in the world ever cared about. (Helena Independent Record, MT)
Inspector Owl: Former one-man band now finding the right musicians May 29, 2008
Wills' straight-ahead guitar work and furious vocals are combined with the danceable, yet hard drum beats played by Jesse Fisher, the low, thumping bass lines by Bobby Lord and an array of synthesized sound effects, trumpet and backup percussion by Ben Grigg ... These days ,we're less reliant on synth and programming. (DeKalb Daily Chronicle, IL)
David Cook Is A Rock-And-Roll Red State, In Bigger Than The Sound May 29, 2008
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Wakefield stands strong at Bombs May 23, 2008
That tune is always a show-stopper live, and with the atmospheric synth sounds, it s really gorgeous. Besides Ovunc, Wakefield gets help on her fourth independent release from Nashvillians Joe Rathbone, Colleen McFarland and Dave Isaacs. (Albany Democrat-Herald, OR)
'Son of Rambow' May 23, 2008
For anyone who lived through synth pop music and Pop Rocks (here Space Dust candy), it's fun to revisit the frightful fashions and trends that seemed so chic back then and to watch an action hero inspire such a crazy, pure burst of creativity. These students are making a movie without, or in spite of, adult supervision, finding cinematic common ground and growing up in the process. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
It's like the '80s again, but with less hair May 18, 2008
Over a dozen shows, representing the full spectrum of '80s music - from one-hit wonders to enduring superstars, synth popsters to college rockers - will touch down in area venues large and small ... And for some of the older synth-heavy bands it's a first chance to play the songs right. (Boston Globe)
Out of Africa May 18, 2008
Though the music you hear pumping from the tape decks of lorries and taxis might include the odd blast of American Rap, it's local stars who dominate with tunes laced with synths but still chiming with the odd harmonies of East Africa - pin-up Teddy Afro, or the hugely popular Gossaye Tesfaye ... In general, however, Falceto is gloomy about the state of Ethiopian music, which by the time he visited the country had declined into gloop synth players in hotel lounges. (Guardian Unlimited -- World)
The Ting Tings - We Started Nothing (Columbia) May 16, 2008
THREE luckywinners will win a pair of tickets to see Evita, the award winning musical masterpiece by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber. Partly sunny Temp High: 15. (Manchester Evening News)
He's not a kid anymore May 16, 2008
Even though there has always been a soul undercurrent to his style, the New York native consciously chose to take the trendy route on "Departure" by combining vintage '80s synth sounds of acts like Michael Jackson and Madonna with contemporary production flourishes that are both silky and acoustic and chilly and electronic. "Going into this record knowing the overall sound I had in mind, I knew that these people were the best in this world of rhythmic R&B music," McCartney says. (Boston Globe)
Album Reviews (May 15, 2008) May 15, 2008
Typically grounded in warm and bright flavors, Death Cab have widened their scope dramatically on "Narrow Stairs," with synth providing dark tones and biting atmosphere - the disc floats and echoes. Death Cab still cover the same heartfelt territory - love and happiness, rejection and regret - just with a lot more aplomb. (Carroll County Times, MD)
Walkman strikes the right note May 9, 2008
Renowned for its buttery bass performance, the Clear Bass enhancement EQ feature perfectly sweetened the rolling dub synth notes of Squarepusher's "Port Rhombus" with no noticeable distortion. Videos appeared bright, crisp, and colorful on the Sony NWZ-A720. (CNN -- Tech)
Coldplay's hot return with Violet Hill May 6, 2008
Any Coldplay fans champing at the bit for some new music from them might find the first 40 seconds of their single Violet Hill a little frustrating, since it consists of nothing more than an ambient synth drone. Once the piano chords and Chris Martin's voice kick in, however, there's little doubt about who is performing. (The Australian)
A Swedish Britney, minus the antics May 3, 2008
Last year, her swoon-inducing synth ballad With Every Heartbeat hit No. 1 in Britain. In March, she matched her hype with a trio of triumphant performances at the South-by-Southwest music festival in Austin, Tex. (Globe and Mail -- Entertainment)
The dance floor is still Madonna's May 2, 2008
As the band rocked the synth line and martial tempo of "4 Minutes," a duet with Timberlake, the side screens began to slide across the stage, their frames filled with images of speakers shuddering under a booming beat. As Timberlake's visage appeared on one screen, it revolved to reveal the man himself clad in a white jacket and black scarf. (Boston Globe)
Intervision beams neo-soul into Bombs May 2, 2008
Consisting of Creighton (lead vocals, synth), Tony Stovin (guitar, backing vocals), Kit Taylor (keys, backing vocals), Mike Glidden (bass), Jon Barber (drums) and Joshua Cliburn (saxophone), Intervision has created a groove epidemic in Portland. Combining elements of soul, rock, jazz and pop, the group is earning comparisons to acts such as Steely Dan, Stevie Wonder and Jamiroquai, yet have created their own sound. (Albany Democrat-Herald, OR)
SunFest Diary: New Music Night Is A Veritable Smorgasboard May 2, 2008
8) The Secret Handshake: You haven't heard musical fusion until you hear a guy sing Skee-Lo's comic rap classic "I Wish" with a synthesizer ... It's a little more synth than you've heard in a while, unless you're locked in a room with Thomas Dolby. (The Palm Beach Post)
Foreign Islands Apr 21, 2008
Local Search Site Search. THIS STORY HAS BEEN FORMATTED FOR EASY PRINTING. (Boston Globe)
A second summer of love Apr 20, 2008
What became known as acid house was characterised by the alien sounds of the 303 synth on tracks such as Phuture's 'Acid Trax', and wasn't a reference to LSD, as some assumed. But the arrival from Amsterdam of a new drug had a huge impact. (Guardian Unlimited -- Arts)
Revenge of the synth nerds Apr 19, 2008
Whitford's penchant for fluorescent colours and airbrushed new-wave design motifs are probably as much to blame as the band's musical preference for layered synthesisers and sunny hooks ... I think sometimes people refer to Cut Copy music as being '80s just because it's love songs and emotional songs with synthesisers, and the obvious thing is [to say] that's an '80s sound because that's when synthesiser music became mainstream ... " They recorded In Ghost Colours in Manhattan early last year... (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Seattle-based band, Minus the Bear, rocks The Recher Apr 15, 2008
Their music falls within the indie rock genre but they tend to experiment with drum machine, synths, and keyboards They even include jam sessions within their songs ... They definitely play indie rock, but in a very experimental fashion with use of a drum machine and various synth and keyboard styles, one that makes their live shows mesmerizing. (The Loyola Greyhound, MD)
Mix a little doom with the gloom... Apr 13, 2008
The rest of the time, Barrow mostly plays synth drum pads alongside the group's fantastic live drummer, Clive Deamer. The six-strong lineup is completed by guitarist/bassist Jim Barr. (Guardian Unlimited -- Arts)
Bristol Time: The return of a trip-hop legacy Apr 11, 2008
Third is so radically different from the first two records, abandoning cinematic melancholy for crude synth grooves and exposed folk, that the decade of depression and doubt it represents has paid off, creatively. The messianic self-belief of, say, Manchester musicians may permit repetitive, pointless records, and the commercial momentum that sustains. (Independent)
Coldplay Indulges Experimentation On Fourth Album Apr 11, 2008
"Viva La Vida" begins with a strident instrumental, "Life in Technicolor," built as much on an arpeggiated synth foundation as it is on an acoustic guitar melody. The same instrumental is tacked onto the final song, "Death and All His Friends," as a hidden track dubbed "The Escapist.". (MediaWeek.com)
Dizzy heights Apr 11, 2008
The very first notes of the album find Carey swooping around her famed whistle register, revelling in how high her voice can go, before metamorphosing into a synth whistle riff ... Over synths as slow as molasses, she intones some of the darkest lyrics of her career, a meditation on the long-term effects of an abusive relationship. (Guardian Unlimited)
Madonna reviewIs the singer's new album Hard Candy more sour than sweet? Apr 9, 2008
The minimal, skittering drums are punctured by colossal stabs of synth, while Madonna purrs weak sweet shop-related innuendos: "Don't pretend you're not hungry, there's plenty to eat... I got Turkish Delights.". You get the picture. (BBC News -- Entertainment)
You dancing? Apr 9, 2008
I've noticed the posters for LA synth-pop artist Sam Sparro's Black , mainly because they're bloody everywhere and therefore hard to miss ... In keeping with the digitally enhanced, occasionally punky nature of much of this Singles Club, Blank Dogs are an 80s-influenced, doomy, synth band who only require an optional donation if you wish to download their music from their genuinely educational and regularly updated. (Guardian Unlimited -- UK)
Marvellous musicianship, shame about the venue Apr 8, 2008
Jean-Benoit Dunckel (all in white, no beard, many, many keyboards) and Nicolas Godin (all in white, beard, bass, guitar, synth), with a three-piece band augmenting their work (particularly a subtle and adaptable drummer who may well be the unsung hero), felt sensual and cerebral, loose and precise, mellow and sometimes seriously, multiple-bass-driven funky. With their vocals always heavily treated, they could be feminine or robotic, droll or coolly passionate as required. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Sound off: The Cribs rock Boston audiences Apr 4, 2008
The synth-driven background isn t too overdone ... Mr. Orange, a combination of early, Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd synth sounds and guitar play and whimsical and wavy vocals from Nimol, exemplifies the band s depth. (Kingston Mariner, MA)
Jarre gives another Oxygene dose Apr 3, 2008
With its unforgettable hook, Oxygene led the synthesizer revolution of the '70s ... More importantly, Oxygene IV contained one of the catchiest synth motifs ever: beew ba-boo-boo beew ... Schaeffer taught the young Jarre that "music isn't made of notes, it's made of sounds" and switched him on to the potential of synthesizers. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Keeping it fresh Apr 3, 2008
Keyboardist Joel Cummins jumps around from bright piano exercises to warbling synth noise. Many of their sudden changes at shows from heavy metal thrash to a dance beat, for example are communicated through hand signals and facial expressions. (DeKalb Daily Chronicle, IL)
Local band finding their groove Apr 1, 2008
There is also the 19 -year-old bassist Corey Vines; and the 22-year-old synth player and back-up vocalist Chris Vittetoe. Jordy, Brandon and Corey have been friends since grade school and started the band about three years ago. (East Tennessean, TN)
MUSO brings Caribou to UNH Mar 28, 2008
In the midst of this, a boy in a purple shirt was setting up a small table, which held a miniature keyboard and a slew of other synth devices; this boy ended up being the first opening act, Eat Cloud ... Vocals were mostly incoherent shouts into the toy microphone, which added intensity to the synthesized beats in the background. (The New Hampshire, NH)
Friends overshadow Flo Rida on debut CD Mar 23, 2008
CHECK OUT: Timbaland s production on Elevator is a big, bawdy synth beat with space-age sound effects and Flo Rida s rhymes about a girl with a stacked top model body. Not Yet Rated. (Helena Independent Record, MT)
After this, nothing was the same Mar 23, 2008
Composed of urgent, pulsing synthesiser chords overlaid with chanting and rapping, 'Planet Rock' seemed to spring into being wholly formed, with no antecedents, gesturing to a future of steel and silver and intergalactic spacecraft ... That the austere sounds of a German synth band could spark a revolution in New York black culture. (Guardian Unlimited)
It was a hard day's night for local bands Mar 17, 2008
FANTASY MIRRORSIan Beck, manager"It's been mind-blowing, we're all exhausted, and I don't know how I'm awake right now. We've met a lot of great people. [Synth player] Michael Potvin and I ended up DJing a blogger party. We saw [UK band] the Whip, and they were phenomenal.". EZRA FURMAN & THE HARPOONSEzra Furman, singer-guitarist. (Boston Globe)
Korg DS-10 synth for Nintendo DS - spark your own '80s electro pop ... Mar 16, 2008
Tech Digest: Korg DS-10 synth for Nintendo DS - spark your own '80s electro pop revival ... Korg DS-10 synth for Nintendo DS - spark your own '80s electro pop revival ... Classic 80s synthesizer, the Korg MS-10, is currently being recreated inside the diminutive Nintendo DS handheld console. (Mobile Digest)
My Morning Jacket Unveils New Album Track List Mar 8, 2008
Strident rockers like "Touch Me I'm Going To Scream Part 1" boast unusual touches, from fluttering synth lines and multi-tracked vocal parts to chopped-up beats and electro effects on the bass and guitars. Appearing near the end of the disc, "Part 2" of the track is an eight-minute-plus mash-up of disco drumming and grandiose production unlike MMJ has ever attempted. (Billboard.com)
Our area's rich talent pool offers fodder for 12 Bands of Christmas Mar 7, 2008
What many don't realize is that before she fired up the synth, she was active in the New York underground, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Television and the Ramones and producing demos with Blondie producer Richard Gottehrer. I'd love to see her onstage, and 12 Bands seems like a perfect fit. (The Augusta Chronicle)
Rhyme and reason Mar 6, 2008
Pemberton's Afterparty Babies -- which hit the stores this week and is the follow-up to his 2006 Polaris Prize-nominated LP Breaking Kayfabe -- is a raw collection of synth tones and matter-of-fact poetic lyrics. NEW EFFORT. (Winnipeg Sun)
CD reviews (1) Mar 1, 2008
The sound is classic 90s hip-hop, gritty (Bow Down ) with those unforgettable synth riffs (Gangsta Nation ). Also included are unreleased tracks like Let it Reign and little-heard gems like Bangin. (Helena Independent Record, MT)
How effective are the promo spots airing on local TV? Feb 27, 2008
The author: "It's got all the standards of the genre: pulsing synths and lights, an ominous voice-over, frantic editing. They're obviously emphasizing dependability and experience, but the implicit message is pretty standard. To wit: viewers WILL DIE A HORRIBLE DEATH if they don't watch." ... The author: "It's hard to highbrow in this genre, but NECN is trying. The synth washes, the little blips of light that look like sunspots, the grave, news anchor declarations. There's a deluded... (Boston Globe)
Future's so bright Feb 27, 2008
First, she found out that Crooker's call was arranged by her roommate, Sean T. Drinkwater (aka Freezepop synthesizer player-programmer-vocalist The Other Sean T. Drinkwater) ... Now Freezepop is trying to connect to a wider audience with a new album of catchy, 80s-tinged synth-pop, Future Future Future Perfect, which was released on Sept. 25 on a label, Cordless, distributed by Rykodisc ... Enthusiasm denies Freezepop intended to echo those 80s synth acts. (Boulder Colorado Daily, CO)
An early listen to possible future hits Feb 26, 2008
If you're Usher, you release this limp, quavery synth ballad with a dull Young Jeezy rhyme that covers well-trod ground about meeting and falling in lust with a "shawty" in da club. Why Usher didn't release the crisper Timbaland collaboration "Moving Mountains," easily found on the Web thanks to recent leaks, is a mystery. (Boston Globe)
Synthesized pop revives the musical glory of the 80s Feb 26, 2008
Media Credit: MCT campusMarilyn Manson's cover versions of great 80s synth songs such as "You Spin me Right Round" hooked me onto the electric pop sound ... The crazy synthesizer-created electronic pop, the brat pack movies, the incredible fashion sense--all of it makes me warm and fuzzy inside ... However, I especially like the electric vocals and synthesizer sounds that seem to make up the majority of the popular songs. (The Loyola Greyhound, MD)
Does New Janet Jackson Deliver? Check Her Out Live on 'GMA' Tues. Feb 25, 2008
A galactic-inspired music video complete with her signature heavily choreographed dance moves and a synth beat ushered in the Discipline's" first single, "Feedback," which was released to drum up heat for the album's Feb. 26 release. Photos WATCH JANET JACKSON PERFORM LIVE ON GOOD MORNING AMERICA ON TUESDAY, FEB. 26. Don't Call It a Comeback Hope exists that her Island Def Jam label debut will ebb her sliding sales, which dipped drastically in the aftermath of her infamous "wardrobe... (ABC News)
Seventh Tree Feb 23, 2008
Happiness carries a little bit of Bolan boogie in its synth backpack and Caravan Girl is scarily close to straightforward guitar pop, like the Cranberries but better. There is little of the tease and much less of the look-at-me manoeuvres found in Supernature, however. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
British influence at the heart of the Bravery Feb 21, 2008
That song, which proved a highlight of the Bravery's mostly sharp 60-minute set, carried all the best elements of the band's intentions: a squiggly synth line; bright guitar riff and sturdy melody; and an earnest lyric poised to connect and delivered with perfectly pained disaffection. "The Ocean," an elegant, keyboard-and-guitar-encrusted ballad that echoed the silvery majesty of the Church, was another high point from the band's latest album, "The Sun and the Moon," as was "Tyrant," a slab of... (Boston Globe)
