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INARA GEORGE & VAN DYKE PARKS: An Invitation
A new solo album from Inara George would be a winner in any event. But with the assistance of arranger/conductor Van Dyke Parks and producer Michael Andrews, The Bird and the Bee singer has assembled a dream team that is pretty much unstoppable. Van Dyke Parks, best known for his collaborations with Brian Wilson on the Beach Boys’ ill-fated “Smile” album and his own daringly expansive solo works such as “Song Cycle,” has become something of a go-to guy for modern indie-popsters with more orchestral ambitions. His recent work with Rufus Wainwright, Joanna Newsom, and now Inara George proves he’s only gotten more adept at arranging for large ensembles in a way that maintains a lush color palette but that never veers far from the heart of a song. Any piece he touches feels homey, familiar, warm, wise, and yet his music always seems to be stretching towards something beyond the horizon, wide eyed. He has a thoroughly American touch, broad, confident, full of brave ingenuity, pulling from anything that works well whether it’s John Philip Souza, Aaron Copland, John Cage, Duke Ellington, or The Pixies. And that is just the arranger! Then there is the artist herself, her compositions, her understated and inviting vocal delivery, the subtle poetry of her lyrics. But we’ve got to leave something for you to discover on your own, right? So go ahead! Dive in.
STARFUCKER: Starfucker
Take equal parts Goldfrapp, Pinback, The Strokes, and Elliott Smith, then quantize it all, add an armada's worth of synths and cheap drum machines in your bedroom, then start dancing dreamily as the frothy hooks envelope you. This is electro-pop done right. Superfans and historians probably already know the band's backstory: the last project from this creative bunch was a collection of (mostly) 80s pop covers. But this is no retro-romance, this is danceable synth-driven rock for the 21st century. This is an album that thrives in the minutiae and warmth of the recorded sound contained herein. From the sound of individual guitar strings we hear strummed through a chord, to the interplay between live and sampled drums, to Josh Hodges' breathy doubled vocals or sensual falsetto, it's the little things that make all the difference here. Through their attention to detail in recording and diversity in their apparent influences, Starfucker has created a singular sound, at once colorful yet melancholy, hi-fi yet hand-crafted. It takes a good deal of bravado to name your band Starfucker; luckily, this album has what it takes (hooks, melodies, and mystery) to overcome the death knell their name would be for a lesser group.
CD price: $14.97
MOKADAS: Mokadas
I'm no expert on the Swedish rock scene, but if the organ-heavy, garage-ish sound this group has put together is any indication, things are going well over there. Combining old (the aforementioned organ, a tastefully vintage and lo-fi feel on the drums) and new (boisterous harmonies that drive home some very 21st century lyrics), they've honed in on a sound that is initially gripping for its fresh take on a classic sound, and increasingly impressive as the approach takes on a life of its own. This may be their debut album, but you can tell these guys have been around; the songwriting indicates clear evidence of experience in making this look easy, and it comes through perfectly in the attention to detail in both the arrangements and the lyrics. "Pretty Face" and "Last Call for Alcohol" are two distinct declarations of kiss-off confidence, an attitude that suits the group's brash sound well. The former rocks right off the bat, leading into a chorus that quickly doubles in strength and powers the song all the way through. The latter brings the sound down a bit, breaking out the acoustic and leaning harder on the pop. The group seems more than comfortable with either sound, and it seems whichever way you want to shake it, they've got something for you. If you ever wondered what an updated "Waiting for the Sun"-era Doors would sound like, this has got to be pretty darn close.
CD price: $12.97
DAVID WILLIAMS: Summer
So, this is what happens when vultures and the desert wind of Southern Utah pick away at the bones of Pop music! "Summer" is no romp through green pastures or idyllic meadows. It’s a straight shot through the Valley of the Shadow of Death. But DAMN, does that hot air feel good! Though thoroughly lo-fi, Summer has the immediate intimacy of Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska. Lonely songs with catchy melodies are haunted by the presence of David Williams’ emotive, fragile voice. It’s both hurried and hushed, whispering warnings from somewhere out there in the bleak remoteness. Williams’ heartbreaking vocals are displayed most beautifully on the sad-bastard folk tune “Shame”. Architecturally, his songs are sturdy enough to hold up Brill Building ornamentation, yet he shows brave restraint. Instead of crowding the sonic space with horns, strings, and trickery, he opts to strip the structure bare, leaving only guitar and voice. Occasionally, fragmented drums and keyboards will sound in the distance, but the music always remains skeletal, ghostly, and sparse. The vastness of the desert has clearly taught Williams about the beauty of openness and contrast. And when a song is good enough, the human voice can sound as grand as an orchestra.
CD price: $12.97
SOFIA TALVIK: Jonestown
Fresh from a powerful performance at 2008’s Lollapalooza festival, Sweden’s Sofia Talvik is now poised to conquer the States with the release of her devastatingly beautiful third album. It’s a record of staggering elegance, with the faintest trace of Scandinavian twee and youthful exuberance. (Timpani, crisp castanets, tambourine, all the toys and tricks to put some bounce in your step.) But those forces are tempered by a subtle melancholy that slowly drips down the lonely walls while you listen until, by the last song, you’re drowning in a warm, welcome bath of sad sounds, syrupy string sections, and round, resonant horns. She combines modal chord changes and beautiful 60’s euro-pop production with the gentle singing of a 70’s folk songstress. Her voice shines through the dark tones of dramatic, lush orchestrations and the haze of reverb like a ray of liquid luminescence. “Jonestown” will remind you of Goldfrapp, Pulp, Nico, Joni Mitchell, Nick Drake, Belle & Sebastian, Aimee Mann, Tori Amos, Burt Bacharach (I could go on and on!), and yet it sounds entirely original and, more importantly, rings true.
CD price: $10.97 / MP3 price: $8.99

Top Sellers (see more)

REGINA SPEKTOR: Songs
Magical realism involving pickles, death penalties and hot baths... influenced by the anti folkers, the punkers, tom waits, bjork, mozart, and many others... a secret let loose.
CD price: $14.00
OPERATION ENSURING CHRISTMAS: A lil' Heroes Christmas
Christmas and Patriotic songs featuring 'voices of the children' of Fallen American Troops.
CD price: $15.00 / MP3 price: $15.00
THE BLANKS: Riding The Wave
A "Barber-NOT Quartet," as seen on NBC's "Scrubs" in the role of Ted's Band, this quirky foursome's debut record features strictly four-part a cappella arrangements in an eclectic mix of styles, talking toys and hidden mic sketches from the "Scrub
CD price: $14.97
JON BRION: Meaningless
One of America's most talented Singer/Songwriter/Producers. Heard producing Aimee Mann, Fiona Apple, and Paul Thomas Anderson soundtracks. "Jon Brion is a master of pop. There is nothing he can't do." - Beck.
CD price: $14.00
THE WEEPIES: Happiness
Cool Folky Pop collaboration from singer/songwriters Deb Talan and Steve Tannen
MP3 price: $9.99
GRANT-LEE PHILLIPS: Ladies Love Oracle
Grant-Lee Phillips in the raw, in the dark, in the basement. Sometimes a sketch says more than a mural.
CD price: $13.99 / MP3 price: $9.99
PANCHO'S LAMENT: Pancho's Lament
Uniquely simple accessible music - heard on TV shows Jack and Jill, Dawson's Creek and Party of Five.
CD price: $12.99 / MP3 price: $9.99
PAT MCGUIRE BAND: Big Brown Sofa
straight ahead guitar sound expanded by gospel harmonies and celtic influences that culminate in a rich, soulful sound that is charged with emotion
CD price: $14.99
INGRID MICHAELSON: Girls and Boys
Featuring "The Way I Am" as heard on an Old Navy commercial and "Breakable" and "Corner of Your Heart" as heard on "Grey's Anatomy." Indie-pop New Yorker Ingrid Michaelson will knock your socks off with her dynamic vocals and deliciously unique lyrics.
CD price: $14.00
VINYL KINGS: A Little Trip
This is about as close to a NEW Beatles CD as you'll ever get.
CD price: $15.00 / MP3 price: $15.00

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Pop music you will love

Pop

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Editor's Picks (see more)

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